Sasami // New Sounds

For almost a decade, Sasami Ashworth was happy to assume a supporting role in music, be that composing film scores, arranging strings for Vagabon and Wild Nothing, undertaking production for Soko, or playing synths with Cherry Glazerr…

It was while still working with the latter that the L.A.-based multi-instrumentalist first made steps to strike out alone, writing material between shows, before finally quitting the band at the start of 2018. Her eponymous debut arrives in March via Domino, and it’s a total gem.

Inspired by “everyone I fucked and who fucked me last year”, the record dissects damaged relationships and meditates on the nature of human connection, while showcasing Sasami’s skill as a songwriter and arranger. Stereolab fans might recognise the Motorik rhythms of ‘Morning Comes’ (and there’s definitely a whisper of Lætitia Sadier in her diaphanous coo), while Cherry Glazerr devotees should enjoy the halo of guitar distortion that surrounds ‘Callous’. From delicate ballads (exquisite Devendra Banhart duet ‘Free’) to sun-dappled dream-pop (‘Not The Time’), it’s an immersive, sensitively-arranged set that will prove once for all that Sasami is more than capable of entrancing listeners as the headline act.